Rest

No matter how young or old we are, Rest is something we all need. However, for many of us it can seem like something unattainable. I didn’t realize until recently how desperate for rest my body and soul have been. This coming Sunday, I will be returning from a two week vacation, something I haven’t done in a very long time. I have taken vacation before but I have never strung two weeks of vacation back-to-back. I feel very rested and even energized to begin another season of work at Lake Cities UMC.

When was the last time you took a real break or rest from your work? Before I took this vacation, I have to admit I was feeling pretty worn out and heading towards burnout, my life felt completely out of balance. Many us find ourselves in similar circumstances. We’re too busy to take rest regularly. We choose to keep up with an overloaded schedule and end up sacrificing our marriage, kids, and life for our career, hobbies, or even volunteer work. I didn’t want that for my life and I know God does not want that either.

In one of the scripture verses we will be covering this Sunday (Matthew 11:16-30), Jesus offers rest to us. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Something that I have discovered about my ministry, my career, and my life is that God does not want me to carry on with a wearisome and burdening schedule. God wants me to yoke myself to Jesus and model my life after his. This means putting first what Jesus put first and ignoring the pressures of the world which lead me to the chaos of a burdening schedule.

Join us this Sunday as we discover The Plan God has for us and how we are offered rest by Jesus to be free from the burdens of this world.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church